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| WELCOME |
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What is desktopcreatures.com?
www.desktopcreatures.com was a domain name I registered a while back to showcase all the 3D work I did modeling and animating select creatures from the website The Creatures In My Head I did a few and then got bogged down in real work so the website was never finished.
How did doodleBug get started?
I always play around in Flash MX trying to do new things. One day I was playing around recording the mouse movement and sending it to a webserver and then reading it back. I added a line behind the mouse and made the first doodler. It only recorded one doodle, and when someone else doodled it overwrote the last. A few people started using it and it was a shame that all these drawings were been lost so I added a database to store them for later playback and just kept adding bits until it got to how you see it now.
What is a doodle?
A doodle is defined as an 'aimless drawing' That is to say you are just drawing without any real goal. You are drawing for fun.
Who runs it now?
I (Critters) am still the only person developing the site but as it grew more popular I needed help with the day-to-day task of checking each doodle. I now have a team of admins that check and award the doodles, answer your questions and (most of the time) set a good example :) The current admins are:
Bluey, Conman, eckitis, gothika, Greenscaled, joemama66, meryl, MrsCritters
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| GETTING STARTED / YOUR ACCOUNT |
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Why do I have to make an account?
I ask that you register for 3 main reasons:
1/ Cut down on rude doodles:
Making an account is intended to make people think twice about just doodling something rude and then running away.
2/ Build up a reputation:
With an account all your doodles are linked to each other so everyone can see all the doodles you have done. When you register you get a page that has all your awards, all your doodles, all your favorites, information about you and your interests/websites and other members can send you messages.
3/ Make doodleBug easy to use:
When logged in all your settings and which doodles you have voted on are recorded to make the site easier for you to use.
How do I make an account?
I have tried to make this as easy and as quick as possible. You just need to enter a doodleName (the name we will all see you as) and a password and email address. All other information we then ask of you is optional. Making a new account takes only a few seconds!
How do I update my details on doodleBug?
When you are logged in you can click on 'Settings' under 'My Account' on the left.
How do I find the doodles that I've drawn?
When you are logged in you can click on 'doodlePortfolio' at the top of any page. Or you can type in /members/[member name] into the URL.
What is the mature option all about?
The mature option is to allow members who wish to doodle and discuss topics which are not suitable for the young or the work place to do so. When you turn on 'Show & draw mature doodles' in your account settings several things happen:
1 Any mature doodles are now visible on the home page and in the hall of fame, they are marked with a purple border around the thumbnail.
2 In the 'Make a doodle' page you now have the option to draw a mature doodle.
3 There will be new topics in the forum called 'Mature Mini-Comps' and 'Mature General chat' which you can read and post in.
Mature doodles do not have to follow the 2nd doodle rule but they still have to follow the other 3 rules. If you do a doodle that is mature, but you have not put it in the mature section please PM an admin as soon as possible and t hey can move it into the mature section.
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| DOODLEBANK / CREDITS |
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What is the doodlBank?
The doodleBank is a page where you can see all your earnings and expenses, it is always up-to-date with the latest activity and rates.
Are credits worth anything?
The doodleBug site is 100% free to use! The credits you earn on doodleBug are just to add another dimension to the website, credits have no real-world value, you can not sell credits to other members for real money nor can you exchange credits for real money.
How can I get more credits?
There are 4 ways to earn credits:
1/ Receive an award for a doodle (the blue, gold, silver and bronze stars)
This will earn you 5.0, 1.0, 0.5, 0.25 credits respectively
2/ Come 1st 2nd or 3rd in a competition
This will earn you 10, 5, 2 credits respectively, if you are not in the top 3 when a competition closes you can also win stars at the above values.
3/ Vote on any doodle
You currently get 0.01 credits per vote, so that's 1 credit for 100 votes
4/ Make a donation
Any donation made to the site is given back in credits, check out the 'Buying Credits' table in the doodleBank. Donations made using any other currency will be converted to USD using the exchange rate at the time of donation.
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| DOODLING |
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How do I draw a doodle? What are the options available?
Drawing a doodle is simple, once you are logged in you can click on the 'Make a Doodle!' button on the left. This will take to you a page where you can pick if you want to do a normal doodle or a doodle for a competition. The details of each option are explained on that page.
Once you have picked normal/competition doodle you will be taken to a page with a white box. You can draw in the box by clicking and holding down your left mouse button. When you are happy with your doodle you can click 'Save' which will bring up a box for entering the title of the doodle.
Are there any restrictions on what I can doodle?
Yes, there are 4 doodleRules. These 4 rules must be followed and are listed on the page you doodle on and the page you login/joined on
What is this 'ink' all about? Can I get more ink?
The ink bar goes down as you doodle, once the ink bar is empty you can not doodle any more. However you can buy ink by pressing the 'Shop' button when you doodle. The ink bar is there for 2 very good reasons:
1 If there was no ink limit doodles would take ages to load, would take up more bandwidth and space in the database
2 This is not an art website, having an ink limit forces you to get your idea across quickly, the resulting doodles are more fun to watch and are more doodles than drawings
Will there ever be colour? Or different pen sizes?
There is no plan for color or pen sizes, please see reason 2 above, this is not an art website. If you would like to paint in colour with more options please check out artPad.
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| VIEWING DOODLES |
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How do I look at other doodles? How do I search for a particular doodle?
The home page (click the logo or 'latest doodles' in the menu) has all the non-competition doodles added to the website. You can view a doodle by clicking the thumbnails, scroll through by using the page numbers buttons located just under the thumbnails. You can also look at the top doodles in the Hall of Fame ('Hall of Fame' in the menu) in the same way. Also clicking on a members name anywhere on the site will take you to their page where all their doodles are displayed in the same way. If you want to search for a doodle you can use the search page ('Search doodles' in the menu) and type in one or more words to find doodles with titles that match your search.
Can I see all the doodles a member has drawn?
By clicking on a members name anywhere on the website you will be taken to their portfolio. You can find members names in the following locations:
1 At the bottom of every page is a list of who is online now.
2 The name of the member who drew it is listed next to the doodle when you view it
3 Next to a message in the forum.
4 On the members list page ('Top members' and 'List members' in the menu)
How do I get stars for my doodles / what are stars awarded for?
Stars are awarded automatically 2 days after you doodle, they are based on the votes you receive in the first 2 days, this 2 day period is to allow the doodle to get a good number of votes.
How do I comment on a doodle?
You can click 'Comments' button above the doodles info box to the right of the doodle. This will show you any comments the doodle already has and there is a 'Leave a comment' link to add your own comment. When a comment is added a copy of the comment is sent to the doodler using the websites PM (private message) system. You must be logged in to add a comment.
What is the hall of fame all about?
The hall of fame is for those doodles that receive a blue star. The latest doodle in the hall of fame is also shown as a thumbnail on the home page. A member who gets a doodle into the hall of fame gets 5 credits and a blue star for their portfolio.
Can I put my doodle on my website or send it in an email?
You can export any doodle on the site as a JPEG, this can then be put onto your website as an image or sent in an email. To export a doodle as an JPEG click 'Export' above the doodle info box on the right of the doodle. Instructions are then on that page.
How are the doodles actually animated when loaded?
There was one website that linked to us that said "drawings are conveyed back as they were drawn by means of magic" The actual workings are not as mystical. When you draw any time your mouse is down your mouse pointers location is been recorded, for every second you draw the location of your mouse is recorded 24 times as a series of X and Y points. When the doodle is saved these X and Y points are stored in a database. When someone clicks on the thumbnail of your doodle these X and Y points are loaded and the doodle player reads through them drawing a line.
The doodleRecorder and the doodlePlayer are written in Macromedia Flash and the database is MySQL, the code that moves the doodles from the doodleRecorder to the database and then to the doodlePlayer is written in ASP.
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| COMPETITIONS |
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What types of doodleBug competitions are there?
There are 3 types of competitions on the doodleBug website:
1 Normal Comps, these are open to all doodlers and cost around 5 credits per entry.
2 Training Ground Comps, these are open to doodlers with a skill less than 2 (skill is the average award/doodle using your last 30 doodles), they cost around 1 credit per entry.
3 Mini comps, these are competitions set up in the forum and are open to all and are fixed at 1 credit per entry. The rules should be included in the first post.
Both normal and TG comps are setup by admins, winners are decided by votes and they run for around 2 days where you can enter then 2 days where people can vote.
Mini comps can be setup by anyone, the rules on how to setup a minicomp are in the miniComp forum and can be found here.
What can I win?
On normal and TG comps you can win the following:
1st Place = 10 credits + gold trophy for your portfolio
2nd Place = 5 credits + silver trophy for your portfolio
3rd Place = 2 credits + bronze trophy for your portfolio
Gold, Silver and Bronze stars = 1.0, 0.5, 0.25 credits + a star on your portfolio
On a H2H comp the winner gets a special blue trophy and all the credits in "the pot".
How do I enter a competition? How many doodleBug credits do I need?
You can enter a normal and TG competition by clicking on "Make a Doodle!" in the menu and then selecting the comp on the following page or by clicking 'enter' in the "Competitions" box on the right of the home page.
The number of credits you need to enter the comp is on the page you see when you click "Make a Doodle!" or on the page you doodle on at the top.
How are the winners and awards worked out in a doodleBug competition?
In both normal and TG comps the winners are based on votes. The doodles are ordered by the average vote and then 1st, 2nd, 3rd are picked. Gold, silver and bronze stars are also picked based on the average vote. There is no runner-up prize for the H2H comps. The average vote is worked out to 2 decimal places, in the case of a tie the doodle with the most votes will win, if both doodles have the same average and same number of votes the doodle that was submitted first will win.
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| VOTING |
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What is the voting system all about? What are the ratings?
The voting system is to allow members to rate each and every doodle, voting helps doodlers see how much the community likes their work. Voting is a way of getting your opinion across.
For every vote you cast you get 0.01 credits, so every 100 votes = 1 credit.
There are 10 voting options, a vote of 1 (far let of the scale in red) is like saying you think this doodle should be removed from the site as it has broken 1 or more of the 4 doodle rules. A vote of 10 (far right of the scale in blue) is like saying you think this doodle should be in the hall of fame.
How do I vote?
You just click the red to blue boxes under the doodle info box right of the doodle. Doodles in competitions that are not open for voting can not be voted on, nor can doodles in competitions that have ended.
My doodle has a low vote, what can I do?
If your doodle has a low average vote don't worry, just do some more doodles, the more you do the better you will get :)
If your doodle has a high average but someone has given you a 1 don't worry, as more votes come in the single 1 vote will effect the average less and less.
What is 'EZ vote'?
EZ vote (in the menu) will show you 1 doodle at a time and only doodles you have NEVER voted on. This is a quick way to get some voting done and see doodles you have not seen before.
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| COMMUNITY |
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Messages: How can I send a message to another doodler?
You can send a message to any other member by typing in the message box on their portfolio or by clicking on 'your inbox' at the top of any page and then replying to a message or clicking 'send new message'.
DoodleChat: How do I chat to other doodlers?
In the top menu click on 'Live Chat' This will take you to the live chat page, you do not need to log in or download any chat application. You can also doodle in chat.
DoodleForum: What is it and how does it work?
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Terms
The forum contains topics, each topic has many threads made up of many messages. You post a message in a topic and that starts a thread that people can also post messages in.
The forum home page
The first page you see when you view the forum has the different topics at the top and the last 20 threads to be updated at the bottom. You can click on a topic to view all threads in that topic or click on a thread to view messages in that thread.
Reading a thread
A thread is a string of messages with the latest message at the top and new messages added underneath. A thread is displayed in blocks of 10 messages at a time, use the numbers at the bottom and top to view the pages of the thread.
Viewing a doodle in the forum
If a message has a small black arrow top right you can click it to start playing the doodle that was included with the message.
Replying to an existing thread
When you have read the thread just click "reply" at the top or bottom of the page
Starting a new thread
Go into the topic you want to start a thread in and click "add a message" at the top of bottom of the page
Posting a message (replying or starting a new thread)
On the page where you type your message you can give a title, the actual message and you can also include a doodle with your message. Any doodle you do will cost you 1 credit when you post your message.
Avatars
An avatar is an image that is displayed under your name in the forum. These images are limited to thumbnails of doodles that you have done. To add/change your avatar go to 'Settings' in the menu and select a doodle in the "MY FORUM AVATAR" table and click "Update my details"
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| INVITES |
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What are invites?
Invites can be sent by any doodleBug member, when you send an invite the doodleBug site will send an email to the person you are inviting with a secret key. This key can only be used once to join doodleBug, and without a key you can not make a new account.
Now doodleBug is invite only can people who are not members still see my doodles?
Yes, most of the doodleBug site is visible to the public. With exceptions like Mature doodles and the doodleMap / doodleChat.
Why is doodleBug now invite only?
I have made doodleBug invite only to control the number of people joining each day. With no limits it would be possible for the doodleBug site to become increasingly popular. doodleBug is more than just a site where you doodle, it is a tight knit community, and having a high turnover of new members would affect this. New members also are checked by admins and having 100's of people join each day would create an unacceptable amount of work for them.
How many invites can I send?
Each member gets 5 invites.
What if someone I invite does not sign up?
Invites time-out after 48 hours. If your invite has not been accepted after 24 hours I would suggest you contact the person you sent the invite to and remind them.
What if someone I invite breaks the rules and gets banned?
There is no automated penalty, however if you were to invite 5 people who all got banned the administrators would take some action, maybe in the form of removing your option to send invites and/or a doodleCredit fine.
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| PROBLEMS AND ERRORS |
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Why can't I log into doodleBug?
Some things to check:
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Do you have an account?
Use the right hand form on the login page to create a free account.
Are you ticking "YES"?
You must read the rules & user agreement and tick the box to say you have read and agreed.
Are you using the correct password?
Use the password reminder on that page to have your password emailed to you
Still not working?
Please email me on the link at the bottom of this page or talk to an admin in doodleChat and we WILL get it fixed.
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I forgot my password! How do I get a reminder?
Click the "What is my password" Link under the login boxes. You will then be asked to give the email address you used when you made your account. Your password will be sent to your email address.
The "remember me" option is not working!
The "remember me" option uses a cookie to store your username and a code on your computer to log you in to the site every time you visit. If it is not working then your web browser (IE, Firefox, Netscape etc..) security or privacy settings are set to high. Look in your browser options and find the section on privacy or cookies and enable cookies.
Another reason is that you may be clicking "log out" this removes the cookie causing you to have to log in next visit. You can simply close the browser you do not need to log out unless you are using a public computer.
How come I am having problems when accessing pages on doodleBug?
This site is always been updated, there is allot of code and some change that I make in one area may have unforeseen changes in other areas of the site. If you get an error when doing anything please send me a message with what the error said, and what you did to make it happen.
I have been banned! Why is this?
You have either broken the rules too many times or doodles something very offensive. You can also get banned for sending abusive messages, spamming in the forums/comments/messages or any other non-sociable activity. If you are banned please contact an admin and we will be more than happy to explain why, you may even get un-banned.
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| HELP OUT |
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What are the gold coins next to a member's name? How do I donate?
The gold coin is to show that someone has donated money to me. The gold coin is next to the doodlers name on the bottom of every page when they are on the site, next to their name on every forum post they make, and also at the top of their portfolio next to their comp trophies. It is also next to their name on the top50 voters, top 50 doodlers and on the members list / search page.
Donations are made through paypal, click the donation button at the bottom of the menu on the left. Paypal takes all major credit/debit cards. The gold coin should be added to your account as soon as you have donated as long as you are loged in and the "remember me" is ticked when you log in. If the gold coin is not added when you donate don't worry, when I get the email from paypal I will check the email address against the members database and add your gold coin. Credits for donations are added manually and may take upto 2 days to show on your account.
How do I point out an error on a page/bug on a doodleBug page?
You can send me a message by going to my doodlePage and typing in the message box half way down the page, you can send me an email using the 'email us your comments' at the bottom of all pages or you can talk to me in doodleChat.
Can I become an admin?
Admins are by invite only, they usually have done allot of doodles or voting and have been active in the forums and in doodleChat. At the moment I have enough admins to manage the site, but if the site grows (as it is doing) I will need more admins, so get doodling/voting/posting/chatting ;)
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| Stats (In the last 24 hours) |
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Doodles added: 9, Votes cast: 101, Messages posted: 5 10
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doodleBug is designed, developed and hosted by Critters
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